New head settling in at Market Deeping primary school

Mark Ratchford has taken over as headteacher at Market Deeping Community Primary School this September and is already looking forward to forging greater links with the community.

The school has been identified as the growth school to cater for planned building work taking place in the town.

The school previously had space for two classes per year group, but over time numbers fell and the site has seen the incorporation of The Children’s Centre and Madcaps Out Of School Club.

There are plans for a new school hall and an additional classroom which will be completed by September 2018.

Mr Ratchford has been teaching for over 20 years, including nine years as a headteacher.

He has recently moved to Market Deeping and looks forward to making close links with the community and other schools in the area.

“Market Deeping Community Primary School is well placed to cater for expansion in the town,” said Mr Ratchford. “We have excellent teachers and consistently high academic results over the past few years. I am looking forward to building capacity to ensure we develop on these strengths as well as widening opportunities for pupils. I believe sport, music and community spirit to be as important as academic attainment.

“Every child, and person working with our children, should be challenged to become resilient, self- reflecting learners. We are a ‘community’ primary school and that should be at the heart of all we do,” he added.

Sue Bryars, the chair of governors added: “The governors were delighted to be able to appoint Mr Ratchford. He is an experienced head who has already made an impact, for example he knew almost every child’s name by the end of the first week. We look forward with confidence to the continued development of the school under his leadership.

“As the school expands we will be looking to recruit new staff to work with our happy team and continue to support and offer challenge to the children.”